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Today’s reading is Luke 21: 1-19 Today we see various teaching of Jesus, but I want to focus on what we see in the end of the reading. We see Jesus talking with His disciples about His return. We see Him … Continue reading →

That’s a scary phrase, isn’t it? It’s scary to think about the Lord remembering things. We think about the mistakes we’ve made, all the stuff we’ve done wrong, all the times we failed. And He remembers? Man oh man. It’s a heavy thing to think about the Lord remembering.

But, remember what the Bible says. The Lord doesn’t remember our sins, it says in Psalm 103:12 – “as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.” He doesn’t remember our sins, He forgives them, and then He forgets them. He doesn’t hold on to or remember these things.

So then, what is it? What is it that He remembers? Listen to what it says in Psalm 105: 7-10:

7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever,
of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

What does the Lord remember? He remembers His promises. He remembers what it is that He said that He will do. He remembers His covenant with us.

This morning, we’ll do a shorter reflection, and return to our full SOAP method throughout the rest of the week. Today, we are going to reflect upon Isaiah 41: 8-10. Listen to what the Word tells us this morning in this text:

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

In this passage we see that God tells the people that He has chosen them. He chose their ancestors Jacob and Abraham. He even tells them that He called Abraham a friend, a pretty high compliment from God, to be called a friend. That shows just how deep the relationship was between God and their ancestors.

Why is God telling them this? They are going through a real time of trial. They are under attack. Jerusalem is being destroyed, the people are being hauled away in exile. The people feel as through that God has forgotten them. They are forsaken. God has abandoned them. They are all alone, in this time of destruction.

And to that, God says this – no. I choose your ancestors. I choose the ones that have gone before you. I have made promises to them. And I will keep my word, for I am God. And I will not leave you. You are are mine. No matter what happens, no matter how hard the road it, no matter what is going on, God has promised.

He will not leave us. He will not forsake us. He will not forget us.

We are not forgotten. Remember that. Hold onto that. Cling to that. No matter how rough the path may be, God is with you.

Remember.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God makes a lot of promises to us in His Word. He says a lot of things to us that give us hope, give us peace, give us courage.

He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)

He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11)

We can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13)

Nothing can separate us from God’s love Romans 8:37-39)

There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

We could go on an on.

But today, the passage we are reading, it has perhaps my favorite of God’s promises to us. Listen to what it says today in Jeremiah 31:33-34:

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

We focus a lot (and rightfully so) about the part where we promised that God will give us a new covenant, where He will write His law on our heart.

God wants us to know that our faith moves from being an outward (action) based thing to an inward (heart) based thing.

God wants your heart. If He has your heart, He will have your actions.

And that’s all pretty awesome. Good stuff. But, I love what it says most of all, after that. Jeremiah tells us that will forgive our sins and, here’s the kicker to me, remember them no more.

That’s a promise. From God.

Not only will He forgive your sin, which is a big deal. But He will forget it.

It’s done.

Gone.

Forgiven.

Forgotten.

The sin that you can’t forgive yourself of, that you can’t let go of, that keeps you up at night, that robs your peace and joy?

Not only has God forgiven it. He has forgotten it.

His word promises that.

Today, let God. Forgive. Forget. Move into the new life that God has for you.

Today, you are a forgiven child of God. Live like it! Live in that new grace today, and each day.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.